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| April Jones case: Accused was sick with 'fright and fear' | April Jones case: Accused was sick with 'fright and fear' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A man accused of murdering April Jones has told a court he felt sick with "fright and fear" after accidentally knocking her over in his car. | A man accused of murdering April Jones has told a court he felt sick with "fright and fear" after accidentally knocking her over in his car. |
| Mark Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, Powys, denies abducting and murdering the five-year-old who went missing near her Machynlleth home on 1 October 2012. | Mark Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, Powys, denies abducting and murdering the five-year-old who went missing near her Machynlleth home on 1 October 2012. |
| The prosecution has told Mold Crown Court he murdered her in a sexually motivated attack and told police a "web of lies" to cover it up. | The prosecution has told Mold Crown Court he murdered her in a sexually motivated attack and told police a "web of lies" to cover it up. |
| She has never been found. | She has never been found. |
| Her disappearance sparked the largest police hunt in UK history. | Her disappearance sparked the largest police hunt in UK history. |
| Mr Bridger's defence concluded on Wednesday and he is currently being cross-examined by Elwen Evans QC. | Mr Bridger's defence concluded on Wednesday and he is currently being cross-examined by Elwen Evans QC. |
| On Thursday, again with April's parents Coral and Paul watching in court, Ms Evans started by asking him to explain the difference between fabrication and lies and asked him to admit his 23-year claim he had been in the Army was a "fantasy". | On Thursday, again with April's parents Coral and Paul watching in court, Ms Evans started by asking him to explain the difference between fabrication and lies and asked him to admit his 23-year claim he had been in the Army was a "fantasy". |
| 'Confused' | 'Confused' |
| Ms Evans continued: "When April, and I use a neutral term, went into your car, was she happy and smiling?" | Ms Evans continued: "When April, and I use a neutral term, went into your car, was she happy and smiling?" |
| Mr Bridger said: "April was in my arms..." | Mr Bridger said: "April was in my arms..." |
| Ms Evans interrupted: "Was she she happy and smiling?" | Ms Evans interrupted: "Was she she happy and smiling?" |
| Mr Bridger: "No." | Mr Bridger: "No." |
| Ms Evans: "And when (April's seven-year-old friend) says that she was happy and smiling, is (she) telling the truth?" | Ms Evans: "And when (April's seven-year-old friend) says that she was happy and smiling, is (she) telling the truth?" |
| Mr Bridger: "No." | Mr Bridger: "No." |
| Asked whether the girl was telling the truth, he replied: "No, she's lying." He added that he believed she had mixed the days up. | Asked whether the girl was telling the truth, he replied: "No, she's lying." He added that he believed she had mixed the days up. |
| Ms Evans went on to say "you will say anything that you think will help you" and would "tell any lie" if it would "save your skin". | Ms Evans went on to say "you will say anything that you think will help you" and would "tell any lie" if it would "save your skin". |
| Mr Bridger said the girl must have been frightened. | |
| Asked why she was frightened, he said: "She's just lost her friend" and seen her "disappear". | Asked why she was frightened, he said: "She's just lost her friend" and seen her "disappear". |
| Ms Evans asked him how long he had spent at local landmark the Monument which the jury has previously been told he drove to after the incident. | |
| He said: "I am under the influence of alcohol, I'm drunk, I'm frightened I'm panicking. I don't know." | |
| He was asked how long he had spent with April from the incident until he left town and passed Tuffins garage. | He was asked how long he had spent with April from the incident until he left town and passed Tuffins garage. |
| "I can't guess that... I tried to help April," he replied. | "I can't guess that... I tried to help April," he replied. |
| He added: "I have no clear recollection of actually leaving the Monument." | He added: "I have no clear recollection of actually leaving the Monument." |
| Ms Evans told him he had no clear recollection because he knew the story he gave to the police was "complete nonsense". | Ms Evans told him he had no clear recollection because he knew the story he gave to the police was "complete nonsense". |
| He was asked whether there were any other occasions when he had a "dead or dying child in your car"? | He was asked whether there were any other occasions when he had a "dead or dying child in your car"? |
| Mr Bridger: "No, which made it all the worse." | Mr Bridger: "No, which made it all the worse." |
| Ms Evans: "Made what all the worse?" | Ms Evans: "Made what all the worse?" |
| Mr Bridger: "The panic, the anxiety, the fright." | Mr Bridger: "The panic, the anxiety, the fright." |
| He was questioned repeatedly about timings and, his voice cracking with emotion, responded: "This is irrelevant to what happened that night... that little girl died that night due to me." | He was questioned repeatedly about timings and, his voice cracking with emotion, responded: "This is irrelevant to what happened that night... that little girl died that night due to me." |
| 'Felt sick' | 'Felt sick' |
| Later, he was asked when the "fog of not knowing" descended. | Later, he was asked when the "fog of not knowing" descended. |
| Mr Bridger: "I believe it's when I leave the Monument." | Mr Bridger: "I believe it's when I leave the Monument." |
| Questioned further on his movements, his voice cracked again as he said: "I have a dead child that I have killed in my car, how does that affect anyone?... I had pins and needles... I felt sick... with fright and with fear... this little girl had died, was dead in my car." | Questioned further on his movements, his voice cracked again as he said: "I have a dead child that I have killed in my car, how does that affect anyone?... I had pins and needles... I felt sick... with fright and with fear... this little girl had died, was dead in my car." |
| Asked if the focus was on him, he replied: "The focus had always been on April... on little April." | Asked if the focus was on him, he replied: "The focus had always been on April... on little April." |
| Asked about his movements at his house that night, he said: "I believe that I have driven to the house... at some time changed my beige top... I believe I might've had blood on it yes... I have then taken April back out the house and put her somewhere." | Asked about his movements at his house that night, he said: "I believe that I have driven to the house... at some time changed my beige top... I believe I might've had blood on it yes... I have then taken April back out the house and put her somewhere." |
| Asked where he disposed of her body, he said: "I don't recall at all..." | |
| Ms Evans referred to a text he received at about 23:00 that night and asked what he was doing. He said he did not know. | |
| She then said: "On your account you have killed, disposed of a five-year-old girl within the previous..." Mr Bridger then interrupted and a tense exchange followed. | She then said: "On your account you have killed, disposed of a five-year-old girl within the previous..." Mr Bridger then interrupted and a tense exchange followed. |
| He said: "No, that's not correct... you say I disposed of... I placed her somewhere... there was an accident where I killed a young child... I have not disposed of her as you put it." | He said: "No, that's not correct... you say I disposed of... I placed her somewhere... there was an accident where I killed a young child... I have not disposed of her as you put it." |
| Ms Evans: "You could have disposed of her, because you can't remember? You could have done anything to her because you don't remember." | Ms Evans: "You could have disposed of her, because you can't remember? You could have done anything to her because you don't remember." |
| He replied: "There's scientific evidence to prove that certain things didn't happen." | He replied: "There's scientific evidence to prove that certain things didn't happen." |
| "There's no DNA evidence on myself, my person, that I had sexual contact... there's no evidence of any sexual contact in the car," he added. | |
| He said there was no evidence of "any huge amounts of blood or DNA or any horrific things on me, my car, my house". | He said there was no evidence of "any huge amounts of blood or DNA or any horrific things on me, my car, my house". |
| 'Panicked' | 'Panicked' |
| Ms Evans said the only piece of evidence that would solve the case was April's body. | Ms Evans said the only piece of evidence that would solve the case was April's body. |
| "I know that," he said. | "I know that," he said. |
| Ms Evans: "So where did you put her?" | Ms Evans: "So where did you put her?" |
| Mr Bridger: "I don't recall, I don't know." | Mr Bridger: "I don't recall, I don't know." |
| He was asked if he accepted the search for April was the largest in British policing history, replying he thought it was the largest in Wales. | |
| "When and how did you get rid of her?" he was asked. | |
| Mr Bridger: "I can't recall, I don't recall. I still believe I have placed her somewhere." | |
| Later, he was asked whether he accepted he had killed April. | |
| "I did cause the death of April and I have never ever denied that but I did not go out and kill her," he added. | |
| He agreed he was "at fault", then Ms Evans asked: "Can we accept that you somehow or other disposed of the body?" | |
| Mr Bridger: "Disposed is such a horrible way of saying it." | |
| Asked how he would choose to say it, he replied: "Her body has not been found." | |
| Asked why her body had not been found, he replied: "I don't know." | |
| Asked to reflect a little further on why April's body had never been found, he said: "I have put her somewhere where it hasn't been found." | |
| Ms Evans later asked whether he was sexually frustrated on the day that April disappeared. Mr Bridger: "No." | |
| He was asked whether he sought to establish relationships with a number of women that day? | |
| Mr Bridger: "No." | |
| He was asked four times whether he had viewed indecent child images that day and eventually agreed he had viewed one image. | |
| He was asked when he had cut his hair. He replied that it had been done on the Monday sometime between visiting the council offices and going to the parents' evening to "make an impression". | |
| Ms Evans said he had also told police in a statement that he had drunk less that day because he wanted to appear decent. | |
| He replied: "No, I had drunk probably the same and possibly extra that day." He added he was also having the more "volatile" drinks. | |
| Moving on, she asked: "Do you remember saying to the police in interview that all you wanted to do when you drove away from Bryn-Y-Gog was get this little girl help?" | |
| Mr Bridger: "Yes." | |
| Ms Evans (quoting his statement): "In my heart of hearts I wanted her to be found." | |
| Mr Bridger: "Yes." | |
| Ms Evans: "When did it change, Mr Bridger, from all I wanted to do was get this little girl help to being I'll do anything I can to get rid of her." | |
| He said that was not what had happened. | |
| He was also questioned about the time he mentioned to a police officer that he would not have put her in the river because he had a fear of drowning. | |
| Mr Bridger agreed that despite his lifeguard training he had a fear of drowning. | |
| He began giving evidence in his defence in the trial on Wednesday. | He began giving evidence in his defence in the trial on Wednesday. |
| The court heard he had panicked after accidentally knocking April over and had tried to revive her. | |
| She had showed no signs of life, he told the the jury. | She had showed no signs of life, he told the the jury. |
| He then drove around the Machynlleth area but could not remember how he disposed of her body after drinking heavily, he said. | He then drove around the Machynlleth area but could not remember how he disposed of her body after drinking heavily, he said. |
| Mr Bridger also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. | Mr Bridger also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |